Josh Tongue ruled out of England's Australia ODI series with toe injury
Synopsis
England's pace attack just took a hit in Australia — Josh Tongue has been ruled out of all three ODIs with a toe injury, and no replacement has been named. With Tongue already excluded from the T20I leg for workload management, the ECB is now juggling a thinning seam-bowling pool just days before the Perth opener on 13 November.
Key Takeaways
Josh Tongue , 28 , has been ruled out of England's three-match ODI series against Australia due to a toe injury .
The ECB confirmed he will return to the UK for further assessment; no replacement has been named.
The first ODI is scheduled at Perth Stadium on 13 November .
Tongue had already been left out of the subsequent five-match T20I series as part of workload management ahead of the South Africa Test tour .
England's remaining pace options for the ODIs are Jofra Archer , Gus Atkinson , Sonny Baker , Henry Crocombe , and Jamie Overton .
Tongue took 19 wickets in three Tests against Pakistan earlier this year before earning his white-ball caps.
England fast bowler Josh Tongue has been ruled out of the upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia after suffering a toe injury, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Saturday, 7 November. Tongue will return to the United Kingdom for further assessment, leaving England a seamer short ahead of the first ODI in Perth on 13 November.
ECB Confirms Injury, No Replacement Named Yet
The ECB announced the development via its official social media handles, stating: 'Josh Tongue has been ruled out of England Men's white-ball tour of Australia due to a toe injury. He will return to the UK to undergo further assessment.' As of Saturday, England had yet to name a replacement for the 28-year-old seamer, leaving captain Harry Brook with Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Henry Crocombe, and Jamie Overton as the available pace bowling options for the series.
Tongue's Tour Background and Recent Form
Notably, Tongue had already been excluded from the five-match T20I series that follows the three ODIs, as part of a broader workload management strategy ahead of England's Test tour of South Africa next month. His most recent competitive outing came in the ODI tri-series in Rawalpindi, where he conceded 79 runs while claiming three wickets — a match in which Sri Lanka pulled off a stunning chase of 430 against England.
A Rising Force in England's Bowling Attack
Tongue has established himself as a regular fixture in England's Test side over the past year, earning his ODI and T20I caps in the same period. He played two ODIs at home against Sri Lanka in September following an impressive Test series against Pakistan, in which he claimed 19 wickets across three matches. His absence from the Australia tour will be a setback for a side still building its white-ball bowling depth.
England's Tour Itinerary and Squad
England began their white-ball tour on a positive note, winning a 50-over warm-up match at the WACA Stadium in Perth on Saturday. After the ODI leg, the team will travel to South Africa for a three-match Test series, with a warm-up fixture in Durban from 9 to 11 December before the opening Test in Johannesburg on 17 December.
England's current ODI squad: Harry Brook (captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jordan Cox, Henry Crocombe, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, and Joe Root.
Whether England name a like-for-like pace replacement before the first ODI on 13 November remains to be seen, with the ECB yet to confirm any addition to the touring party.
Point of View
And his absence — however manageable on paper — narrows Brook's in-match options on Australia's bouncy surfaces. More telling is the workload calculus already in play: Tongue was always being preserved for the South Africa Tests, which flags a wider tension in England's scheduling between red-ball priorities and white-ball competitiveness. With no replacement announced, the ECB appears content to go in understrength rather than risk further injury — a defensible call, but one that could prove costly if Archer or Atkinson break down during the series.
NationPress
7 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has Josh Tongue been ruled out of the England vs Australia ODI series?
Josh Tongue has been ruled out due to a toe injury sustained ahead of the tour. The ECB confirmed on 7 November that he will return to the UK for further medical assessment, with no replacement announced as of Saturday.
When and where is the first England vs Australia ODI in 2026?
The first of the three ODIs is scheduled at Perth Stadium on 13 November 2026. England won a 50-over warm-up match at the WACA in Perth on the same day Tongue's injury was confirmed.
Who are England's pace bowling options without Josh Tongue?
England's available seamers for the ODI series are Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Henry Crocombe, and Jamie Overton. Captain Harry Brook will likely lean on Archer and Atkinson as the first-choice pace duo.
Will Josh Tongue play in the T20I series against Australia?
No. Tongue had already been excluded from the five-match T20I series that follows the ODIs, as part of a workload management plan to keep him fresh for England's Test tour of South Africa in December.
What has been Josh Tongue's recent form before this injury?
Tongue claimed 19 wickets across three Tests against Pakistan and also played two ODIs at home against Sri Lanka in September 2026. His most recent match outing was in the Rawalpindi ODI tri-series, where he took three wickets but conceded 79 runs in a game Sri Lanka won with a 430-run chase.
